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Macedonian Kingdom, Reign of Perseus
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171-170 BC
AR Drachm (15mm, 2.81g)
Uncertain mint in Thessaly
Hermios magistrate.
O: Head of Helios facing 3/4 right, hair loose.
R: Rose with bud on right; I-Ω to either side of stem, EPMIAΣ (magistrate) above.
Price, Larissa p. 241; SNG Keckman 795; Sear 5092
ex Jack H. Beymer
Originating from the Sitichoro, Thessaly hoard of 1968, the long held attribution for this pseudo-Rhodian series was 'Rhodian Peraia' or 'Islands off Karia', etc, and probably used to pay mercenaries. This was the attribution I bought the coin with, and it served for nearly twenty years.
However a 1988 article by Richard Ashton claims these coins were actually issued by Perseus of Macedon during the Third Macedonian War to pay his Cretan mercenaries in a coin which was familiar to them, that is, the classic 'Helios/Rose' coinage of Rhodes. This is the attribution I use today.
Selene Psoma further suggests an even more specific location based on style and weight standard, pinpointing this issue in Thasian Peraia, so it will be interesting to see what further study may reveal.
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